TWO police officers feared for their lives when former Radio Newcastle DJ Paul Wappat drove his van at them as they rode their bicycles, a court heard.

TWO police officers feared for their lives when former Radio Newcastle DJ Paul Wappat drove his van at them as they rode their bicycles, a court heard.

Ronnie Lowes and fellow off-duty policeman David Slade were riding along a quiet road when Wappat overtook them in a van and trailer laden with seven quad bikes.

Mr Lowes, a detective inspector with Northumbria Police, said Wappat’s vehicle came within inches of him and the draught caused him to wobble and nearly fall off.

He said he raised his arm in a “haway” gesture at Wappat after the near-miss.

Prosecutors allege Wappat then stopped his van and reversed back towards the cyclists.

Mr Lowes said he tried to get parallel with the van in order to speak to the driver but claimed Wappat turned sharply right – nearly hitting him and forcing him to leap from his bike on to a grass verge.

Wappat is on trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of dangerous driving, which he denies.

Mr Lowes said: “I genuinely believed I was going to be killed. I was convinced I was going to slip under the truck.

“If I had not moved on to the grass verge on the wrong side of the road I would have been run over.”

Mr Lowes and Mr Slade were cycling two abreast on the B1319 Weetslade Road, between Burradon and Dudley, North Tyneside, around 9am one Sunday morning in February.

They said they heard a vehicle approaching from behind, but as there was no other traffic on the road they stayed next to each other as they believed there was still enough room to pass them.

But experienced cyclist Mr Lowes, who was riding on the off-side, said the flatbed van passed within inches of his shoulder, giving him a fright.

Mr Lowes added: “Without warning, he turned at a 45 degree angle and drove it straight at me and tried to swipe me off the road.

“The truck kept coming and I had to unclip my feet and jump on to the grass verge. If he hit me, I was dead.”

Wappat, 50, of West Shaftoe, Morpeth, Northumberland, told jurors he had been on his way to his quad bike business in Cramlington.

He said he had shouted at the cyclists for not going into single file but denied reversing the van or aiming it at the cyclists.

He told police: “Maybe I was daft for pulling over and shouting abuse, but there’s no way I would deliberately aim a vehicle at someone.”